Real estate in Orange County is very desirable and the residents of and visitors to Seal Beach California appreciate the attractions and amenities there. The city was originally named Anaheim Landing, was altered to Bay City and adopted its current name in 1915. The population of over 24,000 includes the citizens of Leisure World, the first gated community of retirees in the United States. This area is also the location for the US Navy's Naval Weapons Station, a research and development facility for torpedoes and missiles. The Boeing Company is the biggest employer in the city.

Birdwatchers like to visit the saltwater marsh estuary of the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, which is part of the Weapons Station property. This means that public access is confined to certain times. Seabirds, migrating shorebirds and waterfowl can be seen here in addition to endangered species, such as the California Least Tern, Savannah Sparrow and Clapper Rail.

There is a busy calendar of annual events in the region, including the Pancake Breakfast in April, organized by the fundraising Lions Club. They also run a Fish Fry in July on the same weekend as the rough water swim takes place. April is also the month for the Classic Car Show and Seal Beach California organizes a Sand Castle Festival and a Kite Festival in September. The year ends with a Christmas Parade in December.

The railroad history of the area is featured at the Red Car Museum, where a restored Pacific Electric Railway Red Car is displayed. Theatregoers on Seal Beach California are proud of the Bay Theatre, a venue that shows independent and classic movies and foreign language films. The theatre houses a 1928 constructed Wurlitzer organ, the largest in the world to be found in a working theatre.

The pier is another noteworthy landmark and has been rebuilt and repaired on many occasions due to structural damage caused by several storms. It is the second longest pier in the state and is a popular spot to go fishing or have a meal at the restaurant at the end of the pier. Seal Beach California surfers come here and also to Stingray Bay. The men's and women's American Olympic Water Polo team train at the USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center, which is situated on the military training base at nearby Los Alamitos. Images from the region have been used for shots in TV shows and movies, including the soap opera Sunset Beach and the film, American Pie.
Monterey california

There are lots of places to see and things to do in and around the Orlando, Florida area. Whether you?re planning to visit for a few days or a week, you and your family will have plenty of time to check out Sea World Orlando and Busch Gardens. Take your family to see the famous Shamu the killer whale, and experience the new ?Shamu Rocks? concert. Both parks are open throughout the year with extended hours during the summer and holidays, and feature spectacular shows and demonstrations daily, in addition to thrilling rides and special events. If you?re planning to visit during the summertime, check out a whole new park after dark with four sizzling night time shows and dazzling dining options. Sea World is the ultimate place to cool down after long summer days with blue horizons under the stars offering something for everyone. Check out Sea Lions Tonight, an entertaining show featuring talented sea lions, otters, and walrus.

The official website is www.seaworld.com, which is featuring an exclusive online offer available to both Florida residents and out-of-state visitors. Purchase one-day admission tickets at kids? prices online and you get to bypass the lines and go straight to the gate. General park information is also available on this site including the shuttle service for Busch Gardens, show schedules, dining options, adventure camps, interactive programs, group information, and more. On select dates throughout the month of October, check out Sea World?s Halloween Spooktacular; Underwater Fantasea comes alive with friendly witches, mermaids, pumpkin fish, and more as visiting ghosts and goblins trick or treat amongst them. Before you buy tickets, check out www.greatorlandodiscounts.com, a site which boasts the lowest prices online for Sea World Orlando. Purchase the ticket package that best suites your needs including combination tickets for Sea World and Busch Gardens.

If your kids just can?t wait to meet Shamu, go to www.shamu.com to experience Shamu online. Watch the Shamu Cam, meet the trainers, and learn lots of interesting facts about killer whales. Another great site to explore is www.seaworld.org, dedicated to the world of animals featuring information for teachers, amazing animal facts, conservation matters, and in-depth information about the animals of Sea World Orlando and Busch Gardens. A world of excitement awaits you! Come see Shamu and friends at Sea World Orlando and enjoy all the spectacular shows at this premiere aquatic theme park, which emphasizes education as much as it does entertainment.

There are many interesting spots along the Pacific Coast, including Monterey Bay. Monterey California was well known as an important center for the fishing industry up to the 1950s. Now, the old fishermen's dwellings on Cannery Row are part of a tourist attraction, along with restaurants and shops. The city is also famous for its cultural connections and has been an artist's colony. Famous authors have lived here, including Henry Miller, Robert Louis Stevenson and the author of Cannery Row, John Steinbeck.

The area is renowned for its diverse marine life and rugged scenery. It's a favorite haunt of scuba divers and fishing enthusiasts. Visitors have plenty locations to explore around Monterey California, including the 17 Mile Drive. This is a road that follows a scenic trail along the coast, through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. There are places where you can pull off the road to view the scenery and picnic spots. A number of golf courses, beaches and woods line the route. Pebble Beach is known for its world-class golf facilities and there are both private and public courses. There is an AT & T Pro-Am event held every year. The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is a popular event for car lovers as it's an exhibition for classic cars.

Fishermen's Wharf is a busy tourist destination with several seafood restaurants, including up market venues and clam bars. It's a great place to get a souvenir from Monterey California and there are gift shops, galleries and jewelry stores. Whale watching tours and chartered fishing boats can be booked from the Wharf and sea lions are often seen in the Bay. The area is also a favored destination of birdwatchers, with a number of rare birds frequenting the region.

More marine life can be seen at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the largest of its kind in the world and respected for its research. It has an unusual display, not normally seen in an aquarium, of live, Californian Giant Kelp. There are also stingrays, sea otters and jellyfish. The first Great White Shark held in captivity in the world was here until 2005, when it was released.

Race enthusiasts will enjoy the nearby Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a road racing track that is regularly used for auto and motorcycle events. Superkart and American Le Mans races are also held here in addition to other events such as music festivals. The track is famous for its corkscrew turn, attracting daring drivers and riders to Monterey California.

A lot of construction has taken place in recent years, especially in the luxury home market. This has been done to keep up with demand and also to rejuvenate areas that had been damaged by hurricanes. The tourism economy is doing well, especially the boating companies that organize sightseeing tours and pontoon boat rentals. There are trips to take people to swim with dolphins and to go snorkeling. For a fun way to get around, there are electric cars and moped for hire.

Most young people, who come for a vacation, head for the Club La Vela, said to be the largest nightclub in the United States. The club in Panama City Beach Florida often features in television programs about dance music culture. In addition to the dance floors, there are bars and swimming pools. Dancing areas are split into different genres, consisting of techno, house, rock and hip hop. Nights for under age kids are organized too without any alcohol for sale.

The natural world is on show at Zoo World and Botanical Park. More than 350 animals are resident, some of which are endangered. The park contains 250 different species of trees and plants. The zoo has operated a successful breeding program and several endangered species have been born here. The most popular exhibits include monkeys, alligators, exotic birds, camels, bears, lions, tigers and various kinds of reptiles.

The Gulf World Marine Park is a terrific day out for all the family in Panama City Beach Florida. There is a chance to swim with dolphins and watch sharks being fed. Animals on display include American alligators, iguanas, snakes, tortoises, turtles and flamingos. Live animal shows are popular attractions and performers include sea lions, dolphins and parrots.

The city takes part in a qualifying heat every November for the Ironman World Triathlon championship. The race takes place in Hawaii and is one of the toughest of its kind. Contestants run, cycle and swim to be the best and the event is televised. The outstanding athletes receive a lot of support from the Panama City Beach Florida crowd.

The Florida climate is mild in winter and hot in summer, attracting many visitors to its shores. Jackson Florida is the largest city in the state and is a pleasant place to live, offering culture and history along with its commercial enterprise. One of the most popular areas is known as Jacksonville Beaches, a district comprising of several towns and communities. It's the place to go for nightlife and shopping and has many bars, restaurants and stores.

The city boasts several prestigious annual events that serve to boost the local economy. The Jazz Festival in April is the second largest of its kind in the United States. The Spring Music Festival is a free concert and Planetfest is a favorite with rock fans. Springing the Blues is a free outdoors festival for blues fans, organized at Jacksonville Beach. The annual Film Festival is regularly visited by well known actors and directors and showcases independent films, shorts and documentaries. Independence Day is celebrated in style in Jacksonville Florida at the Freedom, Fanfare and Fireworks event. The fireworks displays are amongst the largest in the country.

World flora and fauna is on display at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. This collection of animals and botanical gardens is extremely impressive and the zoo is respected for its contribution to conservation. Popular animal exhibits include lions, elephants, great apes and jaguars. There is also an aviary, reptile houses and a collection of animals from the Australian outback, including kangaroos. The zoo also displays animals native to the Jacksonville Florida area, such as the formidable alligator, black bear and red wolves. There are also Florida panthers, bobcats and bald eagles.

Museums also play an important part of cultural life in the city. The Museum of Contemporary Art has recently re-located and expanded its collection to almost 800 exhibits. The permanent collection is supplemented by regular visiting exhibitions. The Museum of Science and History contains interactive displays of science subjects and the local history pertaining to Jacksonville Florida. It also has a Planetarium that is very popular with visitors.

Live entertainment is accommodated at several venues, including the recently opened Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, which has a capacity for 16,000 people. The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra has its base at the Times-Union Center for Performing Arts and the Alhambra Dinner Theatre offers a meal and a stage performance. Jacksonville Florida certainly has something for everyone and will continue to attract visitors with its action packed table of events.

Kenya is one of the main destinations for this type of vacation and a beach holiday could be combined with an African safari. The country has 40 National Parks and game reserves. One of the most spectacular is the Kimana Game Sanctuary, which is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Rich rain forest is the terrain at the Mount Kenya National Park and stretching plains dominate the Masai Mara. Guides drive parties in 4x4 vehicles or in open back trucks. Sometimes, they travel in mini buses. For an aerial view of the landscape, there are fly/drive packages, using small, light aircraft. Kenya brings opportunities to see leopards, gazelle, crocodiles, giraffes, zebra, lions and hippos.

South Africa is another beautiful country, teeming with wild animals. An African safari here offers a great variety of landscape, including wetlands, semi-desert, open grassland and old forest. The Phinda region is popular and can be explored on foot, by vehicle or light aircraft. Some parties are taken by boat on the waterways. Wildlife sighted here is likely to be lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalo and leopard. The Madikwe Game Reserve contains leopards, elephants and packs of hyenas and wild dogs.

For a truly unique experience, there are companies that organise an African safari to Uganda and Rwanda. Uganda has a population of lowland gorillas and chimpanzees. There is also game in the savannahs of the Queen Elizabeth National Park and the chance to see elephants, giraffes, antelope and birds.

To see the gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or at the Mgahinga Volcanoes, parties are taken on foot through the tropical rainforest, which is home to many different species of birds. The Murchisson Falls National Park can be reached by boat on the River Nile. The waterfall is impressive and the animals in the area include warthogs, zebras and baboons. Rwanda is famous for its mountain gorillas and there is said to be 350 of them in the tree lined slopes of the Parc National des Volcans. The Uganda and Rwanda region, with its volcanoes, falls, lakes and forests is a treasured area and offers the best chance of seeing gorillas in their natural surroundings.